CHARACTERIZATION OF A GRATING-COUPLED LIQUID-CRYSTAL CELL USING A RIGOROUS THEORETICAL-MODEL

We use a rigorous differential formalism to model the optical response of a multilayer structure having both a surface-relief grating and co ntaining uniaxial materials. The uniaxial material is, in this case, a layer of liquid crystal that has its uniaxial axis defined by its dir ector. By fitting experimental angle dependent reflectivity data to a multilayer grating model we are able to determine the spatial profile of the liquid crystal director, and show how accurately the optical re sponse of such a system may be modelled.